FIS World Cup Alpine Ski Racing Season is Underway

If you are an alpine skier and a fan of World Cup racing it has been exciting to be here lately.  For the past week the US SKi Team has been training in Vail on the race courses at Golden Peak created thanks to a multi-million dollar investment by Vail Resorts and Ski and Snowboard Club Vail.

Bode Miller, Lindsay Vonn, Sarah Schleper, and nearly 50 other athletes have been in town creating a pre-ski season buzz that culminated in the "unvailing" of this year's US Ski Team in Lionshead last night.  It was a loud and ehtusiastic crowd that saved its wildest cheers for the introductions of Miller and Ted Ligety on the men's team, and true local Schleper as well as long-adopted local Vonn of the women's team.


The 2010/2011 US Men's Alpine Ski Team

In addition to Vonn and Schleper, Glenwood Springs, CO native Alice McKennis was also named to the Women's A Team, and Vail Valley locals Hunter Schleper and Abby Ghent were named to the Men's and Women's Development teams respectively.


Local heroine Sarah Schleper greets the crowd in Vail Square


After the success of the US team at the Vancouver Olympics, we are all really excited to see what this season has in store.  We get a close up look at the Men's team in a few weeks as the World Cup makes its annual stop in Beaver Creek for the Birds of Prey Downhill and a series of other races from December 3rd through December 5th.  It is always thrilling to watch these racers, so if you have never seen a World Cup race in person you should make a point of coming out this year - you'll just be another year older next year if you wait!

In the meantime, you can keep tabs on the team this year thanks to Universal Sports TV and http://www.universalsports.com/. Click here for their broadcasting schedule.

See you on the hill!

(photos in this post taken by Kristin Anderson, kanderson@vaildaily.com)